The nation’s first black attorney general will announce his resignation Thursday, a Justice Department official said.

Attorney General Eric Holder will continue to serve until the Senate confirms his successor.

The need for Senate confirmation may be behind the timing of Holder’s resignation, Roll Call said. By resigning prior to the November midterms, Holder would give President Barack Obama the opportunity to name a successor, who would then be approved by Senate Democrats after the recess.

Senate rules have allowed a simple majority to confirm the appointment of administration officials since Democrats led by Harry Reid enacted the so-called “nuclear option” to avoid Republican filibusters of Obama’s nominees.

Republicans are widely expected to win a majority in the Senate this November, which will likely render confirmation of Obama appointees problematic after the Senate is sworn in early next year. For now, the rules allow Democrats to all but ignore Republican senators on nominees, Roll Call said.

Holder is one of only three of President Obama’s original cabinet appointees still serving in his original post. The others are Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Holder told his staff and selected others about the planned announcement earlier today, according to the report.

Some on social media are already speculating about a Supreme Court appointment in Holder’s future, but he is said to have no immediate plans.

I guess that was the one latte salute too many. However, I just had a flash of him in a Supreme Court Justice Robe… #worstnightmare

— Scottie Nell Hughes (@scottienhughes) September 25, 2014

@scottienhughes I had a flash of him in a Starbucks, serving coffee.

— Thomas O’Rourke Jr. (@tomorourke1) September 25, 2014

Lois Lerner for AG! Lean in to the corruption!

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 25, 2014

Today was a bad morning, but then I read that Holder is resigning. Suddenly, the world seems a little brighter.

— Tamara (@LibertarianSass) September 25, 2014

Look out journalists and whistleblowers. Eric Holder’s about to have some time on his hands.

— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) September 25, 2014

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George Upper

George Upper is a U.S. Army special operations veteran, an academic, a poet, and an MBA who started writing political news and commentary when people stopped listening to his rants in person.

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